Choice and Consequences

Chapter 3

Harry stared hard at the man in front of him and almost shook his head in dark amusement. This crazy git never gives up, does he? His opponent was looked back at him stonily with ignorant brown flashing eyes across the flat clearing deep in the forest. The Slytherin sneer of an arrogant but stupid man was planted on his face and his brown hair was cropped short over a bulky figure. Despite the fact that they had graduated from school for just over eight years, the house-rivalry was still evident between them. It was difficult to assimilate with fellow classmates who had always been the enemy your whole educated life. The fact that this was a battle for revenge made in no less tense that their situation was at that moment. Their hands were posed and ready to take the other down with what they each hoped would be a spell strong enough to knock the other out.

Harry knew Gregory Crabbe would crack under such pressure. He had seen the smirk on the other's face falter as he jeered him and taunted just a while back. The perspiration was sliding slowly down the more massive man's cheeks, and Harry was hard-pressed not to let out a bark of dry laughter. He is still stupid. It's a wonder he's survived so long. He narrowed is eyes abruptly as he recalled what Crabbe and Goyle had done to George Weasley on his visit to Hogwarts just a month ago. He remembered the note with ugly unpracticed writing saying,

One red down, six to go...

and the blood-curdling scream that came from the area just by the Whomping Willow. Goyle had tried to get another of the Weasleys, but only met his battle's end when Ron used his abilities - taught well by Hermione herself - to defeat the tub of lard.

Goyle was next... Harry knew that the man was scared out of his wits of him. All the easier to kill you, he thought coldly in his mind, the wolf inside him clawing to be set free. Only a moment, a small movement and he would have him on his knees begging for him to kill him. As if on cue, Crabbe made a clumsy attempt to start his chosen spell. Harry, being more lithe and quicker, got out the hex before the other did.

"Gravija!" The fatter man was immediately pinned to the ground by the force that the spell placed upon him. Harry's striking green eyes gleamed and he ambled over casually with his arms folded over his chest, but with his wand still in his clutches. He quickly kicked the other man's wand away from grabbing range, then hunkered down onto his haunches and cocked his head to one side in false innocence. "Are you feeling comfortable, Crabbe?" He got an answering growl and he raised a slim brow, a smile slowly forming on his face. "Now, how are we going to about this? You have something I need and I also have to give you a little gift for exchange for the one you gave me last year."

He saw the body stiffen on the ground. "I am a loyal follower to the Dark Lord," Crabbe spat as feral as he could, but it was tinged with the hint of fear that he felt.

"Loyal, my ass, you brainless tub of lard. Look, you are wasting your breath. Tell me what he's looking for and I'll let you go with just a few cuts and bruises." He began wagging his wand at the man, sending pre-spell sparks out of it. He saw him tremble in fear.

"I ain't gonna tell you nothing, piece of - AAAAARGHHH!" Harry made large, nasty boils begin to pop onto Crabbe's skin sending slick puss and blood to flow from the wounds, cutting him off swiftly.

"I will not tell you again," Harry replied with a quiet intensity. "What is it that Voldemort is looking for? This is your last chance before you feel true pain." He directed his wand towards the wound and opened them wider, making Crabbe shout out in agony.

Crabbe was more stubborn that Harry had anticipated and he watched as the fallen Death Eater pursed his lips until they turned white as he refused to answer. Harry's green eyes smoldered with growing anger. He allowed the energy that the emotion created to channel into one magical command. There was a smirk of satisfaction on his face when he saw deep slits run down his arm, leaving it open to the bone. Crabbe let out an inhumane, high-pitched scream.

"Death!" the man pinned to the ground cried out. "The Temple of Death!"

"More specific, Crabbe," Harry hissed. "That isn't good enough for me."

"Thanatos! Immortality! ARGH! Find the temple - to gain immortality!" The invisible weight that was on his body was finally lifted and he flipped over quickly and curled into a ball.

The man with the floppy hair and jagged scar got up and smiled down slightly at the one in pain. "Now that wasn't so hard, now was it? Now I bid you farewell. I believe your fellow Death Eater friends will be finding you soon." Finished with the assignment he was given, he retreated backwards before finally deciding to apparate out of there, leaving Crabbe in raw humiliation, pain and fear. The Dark Lord would be mad, he thought in panic, his stomach fluttering crazily.

He was as good as dead...

~~ o0o ~~

It would be difficult to keep tabs on everyone in the team, Severus thought stonily as they rode in the minibus towards Kilcormac. With the Death Eaters following closely behind, there was no telling when they would be able to tap into one of the muggles' minds and gain the information they withheld with them. He could make them all sign a contract of fidelity that, with the help of magic would prevent them from giving out any vital information regarding their search. The first two pieces were already in danger of getting stolen - however, as he had placed them in his hand baggage, he knew that there was less of a probability that it would be taken. Ever since he had switched sides, his life had been under more scrutiny from both sides as his fidelity was quite questionable. Because of this, his attentiveness had been sharp and - as much as he hated to admit it - he felt as if he could relate to Mad-Eye Moody with every day that passed by.

He had to admit, though, that he could at least trust Hermione Granger to a certain extent. She was not easily coerced into doing things that were against her beliefs and there was a fierce loyalty to her that would never seem to break, despite the many times it had been shaken. There was also the fact that she was able to protect herself - although at times he wished she couldn't so that he would be there, acting like the knight in shining armor that the many women he'd overheard wanted. The fact that she had wit was an even bigger plus. He couldn't stand to have a partner who had no idea what the difference was between ground maggot and chopped ox hair.

He let out a heavy breath as his frown grew. This was close to being obsession already by the way that he was carrying on and on about her. He knew that the only way to get rid of it was to confront the desire he had head on, but it was difficult as he was never the man who was straightforward about relationships. In fact, he avoided them at all costs. It wasn't only the fact that he would endanger their lives, but also the fact that he didn't know how to approach such a prospect of expressing himself to others. It frightened him and confused him all at the same time, causing his head to swim. So the barrier of sarcasm and indifference was kept high and thick, keeping him safe from the rest of the world. As relieved as he was about that fact, he couldn't help but have a yearning for what he kept from himself: the attainment of love from someone more worthy than he. But he could do nothing about that now. He had a mission to accomplish and he would stop at nothing from achieving that goal.

He was startled out of his bemused state by the feel of Hermione's head upon his shoulder. After Remus had talked to the two of them, it was evident that they would have to be together for the majority, if not, the entire trip. Because of this, she decided to stick with him even on the ride to Kilcormac, which was at least one and a half hours ride. He looked down at her and saw that, exhausted by the anxiety and the sudden adjustments she had to make, she had fallen asleep in her seat and unconsciously let herself lean against his form. His eyebrows shot up in disbelief as she pushed herself further into his side and sighed in contentment once she found a comfortable spot to place her head. He looked around to see whether anyone saw what she was doing, and much to his relief, no one had even turned as they, too, were lost to the dream world. Glancing back down at her, he allowed himself to drink her form in, his eyes softening ever so slightly.

She hadn't changed much since the last time he had seen her at the Hogwarts graduation eight years ago: her hair was still a mass of brown frizz that she still was not able to tame after all these years. Perhaps she had given up on trying to flatten it out. Her skin also lacked the tan that her comrades had - it was like porcelain, but with a human heat that told she was not merely a sculpture with carved from lifeless material. His fingers convulsed on his lap as he clamped down the strange urge to slide his hands on her cheek and run through the unruly hair that had fallen upon her face.

He whipped his head away from her and glowered out the window. Closing his eyes he chanted in his head, Hermione Granger is the friend of that brat, Potter, and that insipid child, Weasley, meaning you should despise her as well. But her relations with the two boys did nothing to stomp the burgeoning desire that he had for her... nothing could.

~~ o0o ~~

"You really didn't have to drive me there, Lex," Chloe insisted. "I could've endured an hour's ride in the same bus as the man."

After their little confrontation at the airport, they had smoothly gone through Immigration and headed out to rent a car. Lex had insisted on getting a sports car while Chloe said it was more sensible to get a normal car that was good enough for driving around the country. He had argued to her, however, that the one he wanted was just as able and it was to his taste and that since he was the one who was renting it that she had to go with his choice. Grudgingly she agreed to his circumstances, as she had seen that the rest of the group had already taken off in a minibus. So here she was, stuck in the sleek looking silver sports car, speeding down the road towards Kilcormac. Along the beginning of the ride, she had started to feel bad about having Lex do all that he was doing for her... bringing her to her current position.

He gave her a wayward glance and smirked. "It's not like you have any other choice now, do you? Or do you really want me to just drop you off her so that you could just hitch a ride with someone else?"

Seeing her pout caused a loud chuckle to emit from the depths of his chest, surprising him more than her. He hadn't been provoked to do such a thing in such a long time and that along with the overwhelming mix of strange emotions was causing him to feel quite uneasy. He cut himself off abruptly and looked straight ahead, his fingers curled around the steering wheel in a deadly grip. Chloe watched him for a moment, puzzled by his sudden change, but didn't say anything about it. People that hid themselves behind facades of coolness were bound to burst every now and then, and at this moment, it seemed like a time to just break. Expelling a loud breath she looked ahead once again, chewing on her lip for a moment before glancing down at the radio. She hated to be in places that were utterly silent. She must have sent some telepathic message to Lex for he almost immediately went to turn it on. The song that spilled from the speakers was mellow and so familiar, that she frowned in concentration.

'... I tried to downplay it with a bet about us

You said that you'd take it

As long as I could I could not erase it

And I'm so sad like a good book

I can't put this day back

A sorta fairytale with you...'

"Tori Amos... that's a pretty old artist... I think this is some classics station," Lex commented off-handedly, staring out into the open road with a concerted expression upon his face.

"There ought to be more of these kinds of stations," she said, a smile curling her lips.

Sighing, she leaned her head back on the seat behind her and sighed. Nothing ever outdid the mesmerizing beat of old original music. R&B had become a boring repetitive genre that it was a relief to find solitude in the melodies such as the one playing on the radio then. But even as the serenity slipped in, so did the tense reminder of the past overwhelm her. She began floating into a time when problems were a common issue she had to face: losing a mother, struggling with a father as her only family, chasing an unattainable dream... she shifted uncomfortably in her seat at the unwelcome intrusion of the past. Yet it was there, flashing before her as she listened to the hypnotic music. I can't put this day back... Clark leaving her at the Spring Dance to look for Lana in the storm... And I'm so sad... drowning in a sea of miserable regret...

"Chloe?" The voice that suddenly jolted her out of her troubling thoughts nearly got her to cry out in joy. "Are you alright?"

Her eyes snapped open and immediately shot Lex a sheepish glance. He looked mildly concerned with a delicate frown on his face but eyes as blank as slate. "Sorry, I got kind of carried away... lost myself in old memories."

"I would have thought reminiscing was a relaxing thing for you," he replied, a partially puzzled look on his face.

She gave him a lopsided bemused smile. "You're one to talk, Luthor."

"Are you always so light-hearted?" he shot back wryly. Despite the obvious sarcasm, Chloe laughed, making Lex eye her in a curious manner in a sideway glance. "How come you rarely laugh?"

There was a certain innocence to the question that made Chloe abruptly freeze, her cheer fading from her body slowly. Chewing upon her lip, she looked out the car window, silent for a moment. "I never really had anything to laugh about," she finally answered in a hesitant voice. She didn't know whether to truly trust him, but there was something urging her inside to tell him - reveal a bit of herself. Perhaps it was because no one really asked her about what she felt - Clark certainly never did. Pete had tried, but was a miserable failure at helping her out of her stupor. Lana... well, she was an absolute flop as she didn't know how to handle such situations.

Lex seemed to understand and almost immediately, he took hold of her hand that lay on her lap and gave a squeeze. Eyes wide in surprise, Chloe looked down at their linked hands. For as long as she knew Lex, he was never very physical with anyone... not even with Helene... when they were engaged, that was. And this happened to be the second time that he had made such a gesture. Not realizing it, she had stiffened all over and twitched under his grasp like a deer in headlights. At that reaction, just as quickly as he took hold of her, he let go and placed his hand back upon the gearshift.

He couldn't understand what it was that provoked him to do such... such uncharacteristic things from him, but he ended up doing it anyway. Perhaps it was out of sympathy. He knew what she was going through - the low points of one's life where everything that was surrounding them was utterly depressing. There was nothing to really feel joyful about. Perhaps it was that... or perhaps it was the same feeling that had caused him to impulsively taunt her with sensual words on the airplane. He repositioned himself in his seat as imperceptibly as possible. A surge of a strange emotion stirred within him and he tried hard to clamp it down and forget about it. He was technically her boss and he never got together with his employees - not exactly a moral thing to do.

He began tapping his fingers on the steering wheel and stared ahead with a remote gaze. Chloe resigned herself to propping her elbow on the hand rest on the door and allowed her head to be supported on it as she watched the scenery zoom by. As awkward as it felt in the car, the music did its best to smooth out the knots in her stomach. By then, the song had ended and the RJ was introducing the next song. "Coming up next on the 'Mellow Golds' Radio Station is 'Angel' by Sarah MacLachlan. This song was requested by Katie to Rex." The song started as a whisper under the man's voice, but soon came louder as he wrapped up his little spiel. What spilled forth was mellow piano-voice music. 'You spend all your time waiting for that second chance, for a break that would make it okay...'

Chloe nearly groaned at the beginning. It wasn't that she didn't like the song. She really did, actually. It was the fact that the lyrics would make her feel like she was being transported back into moments in her high school life that she wished she didn't have relive again. Lex seemed to be on the same page as him for when the first strands of the song came out of the speakers of the car his hand immediately went to the buttons to switch the station. When a more contemporary, fast-beat song came spilling out, he put his hand back on the gearshift, temporarily satisfied with the choice of music.

~~ o0o ~~

Severus waited by the reception desk for his keys to his rooms when he felt the strange feeling of being watched. Narrowing his eyes, he moved his eyeballs - but not his head - around to spot anything of conspicuous nature in front of him. Trying to look just as casually, he turned around and leaned on the counter; pretending to be searching for a friend. There were so many unfamiliar faces, but he had a practiced eye so he knew what he was looking for. Immediately he saw it. There was a woman seated at the bar, drinking a shot of something. He immediately knew there was something wrong with the way that she looked awkward, as if she was trying to blend in with the rest of the people there in the conjoined bar/restaurant.

The panic was welling inside - as well as a strange sense relief. Both feelings were provoked by the same idea: Voldemort was hot on their trail and had caught up. The relieved part of him was the one he clamped down - the side of him that still was a strong believer of Voldemort's cause... his dark side. It sent a shudder of fear through him to even ponder about whether that side of him would be able to overpower his current consciousness and because of that, he brushed it aside and focused on the strange woman at the bar, only to find that she was gone. His eyes skittered across the room again, to see if she had merely moved seats, but to no avail.

"Are you looking for Miss Sullivan?"

Severus was startled by the sudden question that came right out of the blue and when he narrowed his eyes on the source, it was a look filled with annoyance. "No, I am not. Didn't I tell you that I don't like the girl?"

Hermione gave him an uncharacteristic smirk and placed her hand on her hip. "Yet you care about her enough to look out for her, is that right?"

"She could be gallivanting across the street right at this minute, stark naked and I could care less about it," he snapped back, folding his arms over his chest.

Hermione said nothing in return, but the look upon her face showed that she still thought otherwise. The man had always been touchy, she thought in bemusement. Ever since she'd known him, not once had he ever said or shown warmness. She had often thought that it was merely all an act for fear of not being accepted for who he was, but after many times of futilely defending him, the belief of such a possibility had dimmed to a mere myth in her mind. Perhaps she should have been just as objective as Ron and Harry were with their opinion on the Professor. She gave a mental shrug. She always had a tendency to try to see the good in people. Unfortunately, the Potions Master was no exception. Something suddenly caught her attention about that certain thought. Turning to him, she frowned. "Why are you doing something like archaeology, Professor?"

He lifted a brow. "What do you mean?"

"Well," she started. "You used to be a potions master. It seems... uncharacteristic of you to do something so remote from your usual field of work."

"I chose it because of that same fact, Miss Granger," he replied in a matter-of-factly way. "Considering that I have been found out by the Death Eaters, would it be wise for me to do something that is so obviously like me instead of my doing something totally unlike me?"

A knowing look dawned her face. "So archaeology allows you access to certain databases, while also giving you a good cover so as to keep the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord from discovering your whereabouts. That is quite understandable, I guess."

"Not using your noggin enough, Miss Granger," he scoffed, lifting his chin most snobbishly.

Her eyes narrowed on him. Just when she thought he was on okay terms with her, he turns the tables and changes everything back to the way it used to be! The no good greasy git! She was imagining strangling him at that moment when she was interrupted by the receptionist, who had the keys to her room. "Due to the lack of accommodations, we have taken the liberty of placing you with another individual - of the same sex, of course, to make this as comfortable as possible."

Hermione blinked. She hadn't been assigned a room mate since she was in... well since she was in Hogwarts to tell the truth. "Who is the person I have been placed with?" she inquired politely, once she recovered herself.

The receptionist looked down at the computer, tapping a few keys before frowning at the screen. "According to this, you have been placed with... a Miss Chloe Sullivan."

What luck in the entire world? She glanced at Severus - who had hung around a little longer to see if he was placed with anyone - and he looked absolutely dumbstruck. If there were any doubts beforehand about his attachment to the girl, it was obvious then... or at least it seemed that way to Hermione. Sighing she thanked the person behind the counter and headed towards the lifts. Severus watched her go and upon getting his keys and the notification that he was on his own for now, he went through the same route that she did, skulking down the area, causing people to drift far away from him with nervous looks on their faces. Had the two lingered around the lobby longer, they would have noticed a new, but familiar face enter the room.

The man who came in did nothing to hide his appearance. Just upon entering, all females stood to attention, noting his wondrous resilience, the power from him coming off of him in invisible waves. Harry Potter had arrived in Ireland.

~~ o0o ~~

Hermione had been unpacking when there was a knock at her door. Glancing at her things, then at her bag, she cursed herself, knowing that it would look conspicuous to have so many things packed into such a small amount of space. Quickly she waved her wand to her things and placed them - in an orderly fashion of course - in the closet just by her. Another series of knocking came, only this time it was more impatient than the first.

"Excuse me," a female voice called. "Is anyone in there? The receptionist said that they gave the keys to someone I was sharing the room with."

Frantically, she resigned herself to throw everything conspicuously magical into the closet and ran to open the door. When she opened it, the young American was waiting, her hands on her hips and her luggage dropped on the ground beside her. Chloe's impatient expression froze on her face as she noticed who she was to be roomed with. Forcefully, Hermione planted a smile upon her lips and nodded respectfully to the other.

"Hello," she greeted in as pleasant a voice as possible.

"Hey..." Chloe's voice was unsure as she cast her eyes down upon the floor.

After a pregnant moment of awkwardness, Hermione jolted and moved aside, motioning for the blonde to come inside. She stepped through the door quite tentatively, as if she was a rabbit in an open field on the opening day of the annual hunt. Chloe brushed her hair from her face and set down her things on the ground before clearing her throat and turning back to her room mate.

"So..." she trailed off, not really knowing how to greet the other. "I guess you know who I am."

"And I suppose that you know who I am, too."

Chloe nearly rolled her eyes at that. I think I know I little too much about you, thanks. "Yes; enough I believe. It's nice to finally and formally meet you." She stuck out a hand to shake, to which Hermione gladly took. Chloe looked at their hands first then up at the other. At that moment, something passed - an understanding, perhaps, of each other. Whatever it was, the tension they had felt just seconds before had dissipated and a real smile washed over them and their demeanor warmed towards each other.

"So you need help unpacking that stuff there?" Hermione asked, after they let go.

Chloe glanced at her suitcase and shook her head. "Nah, I never unpack my stuff. I like to keep everything inside my suitcase so that if we had to leave pronto, I'd save time packing. What about you? Oh, it looks like you've been here a bit longer than I have. All of your things seem to be in place! Your suitcase is absolutely empty. What time did you arrive?"

Hermione opened her mouth then closed it, looking at the suitcase. Then she turned back and grinned (which she hoped didn't look guilty) and replied, "Oh... just... ah, two hours ago, I believe." She looked down at her watched and frowned, nodding as she calculated the amount of time it normally took a muggle to fix their things. "I was in the bathroom when you knocked."

"Ah," the blonde said. "That explains the long wait." Rocking on her feet, she clasped her hands in front of her and then sent a sparkling look to Hermione. "Since it seems we're both done here, why don't we go grab a drink before the official meeting? I saw some people holding some great stuff down at the lobby."

Hermione, who was relieved she actually bought the lie, quickly accepted the invitation. Grabbing the keys to the room they headed down the halls to the elevator. They kept themselves busy by chatting of little meaningless things - how do you think the weather is going to fair while we're out there? - and stopped when the doors opened. Hermione was stunned to see who was there. Chloe merely raised a brow and almost whistled in appreciation.

"Harry," the British girl breathed, bringing a hand to cover her mouth. "Is that really you?"

The man with the lightning scar on his forehead smiled warmly at her and stepped out. "Hey, 'Mione. I was just looking for you."

Hermione couldn't help the rush of nostalgia that swept through her - or the tears that filled her eyes. Oh how long has it been since she had contacted her best friend? How long had it been since she had seen him? Acting impulsively for once, she threw herself at him and held him in a tight embrace, sobbing as she did. He in turn looked down at his childhood friend, his feelings showing in his eyes.

And as Chloe watched this, she could feel herself slinking away, into the elevator stall, knowing that she had no place in that scenario. There was a twinge of envy that toiled in her stomach as the doors closed and she began her descent to the lobby. The playful side of it was that Hermione was lucky since she had such an attractive man with her, but the more serious one wanted what she had - what Lana had, too: the wonder of having decent men falling for her. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that this 'Harry' character was in fact a good person. Aside from the raw power and confidence, he reeked of the qualities of a respectable man. Feeling helpless once again, she pushed her pathetic feelings aside and focused on what drinks would be nice to have.

~~ o0o ~~

After the dramatic reunion, Harry and Hermione retired to his quarters - which were meticulously guarded with a number of wards to prevent eavesdropping and warn if anyone had the intention of coming in - and began to talk about a number of things - how the other has been, what has been happening in their lives and finally they began talking about the task at hand. Harry filled her in on what he found out from Crabbe - leaving out the more gruesome sections as he knew she would berate him for his cruelty.

Hermione sat back in the hotel seat with a frown on her face. "It is just as Snape suspected," she muttered. "It's a good thing I came, then."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Professor Snape is here? How is it I didn't sense him?"

"Perhaps he's skulking about the streets of this little town, scaring little kids back into their homes," she grumbled under her breath.

"Still has the winning personality I see," he joked, sending her a sympathetic smile.

"In the words of the great master, himself: 'old habits die hard.'" She shook her head, but was grinning as she heard her companion's chuckle. "Anyway, I had the pleasure of spending the entire trip over with him and we had discussed the reason for the wizarding world's involvement in the expedition. He wasn't sure, but he had said that he had a hunch that finding this temple would guarantee an indestructible Voldemort."

The Dark Lord's name came so easily to her now - it had, after all, been years since Harry insisted that their little Defense against the Dark Arts group from fifth year just say the name. It had helped in the long run, as the fear that had been so tangible at the mere thought of the powerful wizard those years before had slowly broken down and all that was left was the heavy weight of contempt. Harry hid a smile at Hermione's statement; a proud little smile that said, 'Yep, I was the one who got her to get over the fear.'

"Now that I know that he's right, I'm actually somewhat glad that I took up my boss's proposition," she went on.

our boss? You work?" Harry asked, though once the words were out of his mouth he realized just how stupid that must have sounded.

Just as he suspected, she rolled her eyes and gave him a disdainful look. "Well, naturally I do. How else am I supposed to sustain myself without family or friends to support me? Really, Harry, I'd think you have more sense than that."

He winced. "I was about to rephrase that, but you cut in," he lied, trying to gain back his pride. "What I meant to say was 'you're working in the muggle world?'"

One brow raised, but she said nothing to counter it; instead she answered his newly created question. "Naturally, the scouts for the decomposing corpse are out for my hide so I have to have a relatively good cover. Considering the fact that secretaries are far below my standards for a job, I thought it would be ideal to keep them off my back."

He winced. "You know you didn't have to answer that..." he said, scratching his head in embarrassment. "It was a stupid question."

She shrugged. "We have our moments, I guess. You just picked now as one of them." At the withered look, she laughed with twinkling eyes. "I'm just kidding, Harry." Her smile faded and what was left was the remains of the disbelief that she had initially felt when she saw him. "I still can't believe you're here. It's been so long since I've seen a familiar trusting face. I'm so relieved yet..."

Harry frowned. "Yet what, Hermione?"

"I feel like it's not real - like something will just whisk you away from me and I'll really open my eyes and see that it was all just some hallucination that I conjured up to help me get through the day." She looked so insecure, her eyes cast down and ponderous as she stared at her fidgeting fingers.

Instinctively, he pulled her to him and held her close to him and kissing the top of her head to reassure her. He knew exactly how she felt. "I won't allow you to think so pessimistically. I'm here, aren't I? You feel me, can't you? Don't worry so much, 'Mione. Everything will be fine." Even when he was uttering the words, there was still that underlying uncertainty. They were separated once already. There was no way of really knowing if it would happen again. He forced himself to forget the twisting feeling and focused on a lighter note. "You know that Ron is on his way here?"

He felt her body tremble and tense before broke away from him, brown eyes staring back at him with utter disbelief. "Please don't tell me you're joking."

He pursed his lips. "You think I'm that cruel? What kind of a friend do you take me to be?"

She let out a garbled laugh, the tears welling up again. "This is absolute madness. Just think... the trio joined once again to fight off evil." She let out an uncharacteristic giggle. "Oh, it will be like old times!"

Harry scrunched up his nose. "You make us sound so old by saying that."

They shared a look and laughed.

~~ o0o ~~

Lex sat in the cushioned seat, sipping his beverage and idly watching Chloe from afar. She had come in less than an hour ago alone and just moments after she had sat down at the bar a male colleague - who he assumed was from India by his appearance - came to keep her company. They had been discussing something intensely, and by the looks of it, the man was quite impressed by what Chloe was saying. Lex had to hand it to the girl; she had a sharp wit that came in handy in many situations. As he had watched on, the man had gradually placed himself closer and closer to her, sending a feeling of what he believed was annoyance through his body. It had reached a point where he was rationalizing whether or not to intrude, knowing that the man had certain intentions with her. His irritation flared when he saw the man slide his hand across her back and rested it just above her hips and moved to get up, when he saw her eyes narrow. He blinked when he saw her shove him away, causing him to crash onto the ground in an unceremonious manner.

The movement in the room stopped and all the eyes were focused on the man on the floor and the woman with an angry blush on her cheeks.

"I suggest you watch it next time, asshole," she seethed.

The Indian man jumped back to a standing position and brushed himself off with as much dignity as possible. Then he turned a heel and waltzed out, his head held high. Lex had to hand it to the man; he knew how it felt to be publicly rejected by a woman and how much courage it took just to walk out like a rational man instead of storm out while destroying everything near him. It took a moment before everyone returned to their previous conversations and Chloe, her lips pursed, swiveled to the bartender to give her a shot of one of the stronger liquors they had.

Lex smiled a little, amused and impressed by her rationality. And despite his better judgment he took his drink and got up, strolling over to her in a lazy manner. When she was in hearing range, he drawled, "That was quite a show you put on there, Chloe."

His abrupt presence jolted her and she turned to him with glowering green eyes. "You could warn a person when you're approaching, you know."

"I like to keep everyone on their toes; if it means catching them off-guard, then it's fine with me."

"You know, Hermione was right when she said that someone could get a heart attack with your sudden appearances," Chloe spat. "Just go away, Mr. Luthor."

"Oh, so we're now back to formalities?" As much as he had enjoyed her company before, she had a way of getting under his skin; tweaking his mood. He could feel himself stiffen; feel the distance grow. Wanting to avoid any more of this, he stepped back in attempt to physically show what he was feeling. It had been an unintentional movement as he was not one to express himself - ever - of such conflicting feelings. "Very well, Miss Sullivan, I'll see you around." He moved to turn but was stopped by her firm grip on his forearm. He stared down at it, his eyes carefully blank.

She gazed up at him with tired eyes; her posture slumped in a defeated manner. "Please don't go, Lex... I spoke out of anger. And it was wrong of me to do so. I'm sorry about that." She let go of him, half expecting him to leave. The relief she felt when he moved - hesitatingly - to the seat beside her was instantaneous and powerful, that it left her wondering why it was so profound. "The guy just really pissed me off. I needed to blow some steam off. You happened by... so I -"

"No need for further explanation," he interjected. "I understand that my timing was off so I am also partially to blame. I should have known that you'd still be impulsive and out of control when it came to your emotions."

She shot him a withering look. "You know you could have left that part out," she muttered, causing him to chuckle.

She could feel her muscles loosen when a woman called her name causing her to stand alert once again. Hermione stood waving at her to come over. From the look on her face, she was not planning on coming over, considering the fact that Lex was there right by her. Sighing, she turned to him and gave him an apologetic smile as she knew what the British girl was signaling her for. "I'll see you later. This meeting might take a while."

He nodded quietly and watched her leave, a curious look on his face.

~~ o0o ~~

Severus had been busy for the past few hours preparing the enchanted parchment for the muggles to sign. Preparing so many had drained him of a lot of his energy as he had focused a lot of it on the spells that created the contract. He hoped that upon signing it, they would be unable to reveal any valuable information to onlookers that might be potential Death Eaters. He was finishing off the last one when the people started strolling in, paying no heed to the man as he sat stooped over a desk in their allocated meeting room. They were enjoying the last bit of freedom for the moment before the Potions Master commanded their full attention.

People looking in from the outside wondered what it was about, but when they began to approach, something in their minds told them to look at the souvenir shop that was down the corner to the right. It was one of the wards working to keep any inquisitive individuals from trying to get in to see what the gathering was about. Hermione had come with Harry and Chloe (who had finally been introduced formally) after a few had already made their way in and was promptly handed a parchment with the Professor's scrawls written across it in his spidery script. Looking at it almost made her feel like she had just been handed a slip to sign for permission to go to Hogsmeade on weekends.

I, Hermione Granger, am aware that this expedition is a privately-initiated project. Thus the utmost discretion will be observed by me. Information regarding the excavation will be kept to the group and no exposed to the following:

Reporters of any periodical, tabloid, etc.

Friends outside the expedition group

Onlookers

Should I be questioned about anything regarding the excavation by any of those listed above, I will observe absolute silence.

At the bottom was a line where she was to sign. She looked at Chloe, who was frowning at the paper. "What we're back in Middle School again and we have to write pledges?" the blonde exclaimed out loud.

There were a few scattered laughs from those who had heard her. It earned her a nudge from Hermione and a heavy scowl from Severus, who was standing above everyone by almost a foot. "For your information, Miss Sullivan," Snape growled. "This will serve as proof that you will not reveal any important information regarding our search, should you choose to flaunt your career and knowledge of the ancient world as you so love to do."

Her cheeks grew a dark shade of pink as the air was filled with a loud 'ooh' from the crowd, who, despite their age, still loved a good fight - verbal or physical. And on that sour note, they started the meeting. It was an hour afterwards, when the papers were signed by those who had come to the meeting that Chloe stalked off, muttering under breath as she headed towards her shared room. Everyone, but Hermione, Harry and Severus had left the room, giving them the privacy that they needed. Apparently, Severus was still unaware of the younger man's presence. His back was still turned towards the pair as he shuffled through the parchments making sure that all were signed. Hermione wanted to point out that her best friend was there. Harry didn't allow her to do that and spoke before she had the chance to even open her mouth.

"It's been a while Pofessor Snape," he commented quietly.

And at his voice Severus stopped, put down the papers and turned his head of limp raven locks and obsidian eyes towards his former student.